Kickstarter is a global crowdfunding platform focused on financing creative projects. The company’s mission statement is to “help bring creative projects to life.” The company claims that more than 14.1 million people from every continent have backed a kickstarter project. As of Jan. 2018, the company claimed to have received $3.5 billion in pledges, and created more than 300,000 full and part-time jobs through about 138,000 creative projects. People who donate to Kickstarter projects are usually offered specific rewards or experiences in return for their money. The company boasts a 36 percent success rate, meaning that donating to projects will yield a successful creative endeavor, such as a new furniture product line, less than 50 percent of the time. As of Jan. 2018, Kickstarter said that there have been nearly 138,000 successfully funded projects, including about 275 that raised $1 million or more through the platform. Most Kickstarter projects, however, raise far less, on the order of $10,000 or lower. Kickstarter does not own any of the products funded on its platform. Kickstarter’s competitors include Indiegogo and GoFundMe.

Mashable
is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.